Lever operating and locking device



A. W. HOLLAR, JR

LEVER OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30. 1958 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORN E Y.

Oct. 31, 1961 A. w. HOLLAR, JR 3,006,214

LEVER OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 30. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Oct. 31, 1961 A. w. HOLLAR, JR 3,006,214

LEVER OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 30. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 31, 1961 A. w. HOLLAR, JR 3,005,214

LEVER OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 50, 1958' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,006,214 LEVER OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE Arthur W. Hollar, Jr., Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., as-

signor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1958, Ser. No. 745,604 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-536) This invention relates generally to lever moving and locking means and more particularly to such levers when incorporated in window regulator assemblies. The invention is specifically adaptable for use in combination with the levers for operating the windows of automotive vehicles.

A broad object of the invention is to provide a simple means for restraining a member against movement relative to one or more other members. A more specific objeot of the invention is to provide, in combination with a pivoted automotive window regulator, lever means for holding said lever in whatever position it is placed. Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified window regulator utilizing a pair of levers, geared together, one of which is operatively connected to the window for raising and lowering the same and the other of which is manually operated.

For the above and other objects of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view in elevation of an automotive vehicle with an interior panel thereof cut away to expose a window well in which the novel window regulator assembly is mounted and shows the regulator with the window in the raised position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 except that the regulator assembly is shown with the window lowered into the well;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view in elevation of the novel locking mechanism combined with the operating handle mounted on the operating lever of the assembly;

' FIGURE 4 is a view generally above the operating handle taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 illustrating how the dogs of the locking assembly are biased so as to force the operating lever into one of a pair of spaced surfaces and the dogs into the other of such surfaces;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 showing parts in section illustrating further details of the locking means for the operating lever of the regulator assembly;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2 and illustrates certain details of the connections between the window operating arm and the operating lever for the regulator assembly having the gear segments fixed thereto;

FIGURE 7 is a detail view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6 looking toward the interior of the vehicle.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, an interior side portion of an automotive vehicle door 2 is shown with the inner panel 4 cut away as at 6 to expose a window well 8 into which a side window 10 may be lowered. Located within the well is a window regulator assembly identified generally by a numeral 12. The assembly 12 comprises a pair of cross-arms 14 and 16 which are pivoted together at 18. An end 20 and an end 22 of cross-arms 14 and 16, respectively, are provided with rollers 24 and 26 which are movably located in a track 28 fixed to the lower edge of the window 10. A second track 30 is fixed to the inner panel 4 and guides a rollered end 32 of cross-arm 16 therein. The arm 14 has an end 34 which is pivotally connected to a bracket 36 at point 38. The bracket 36 Patented Oct. 31,- 1961 is fixed to the inner panel 4 by means of the studs 40. The weight of the window 10 is approximately counterbalanced at point 38 by a torsion spring 42 which has one end secured to shaft 44 fixed to arm 14 and the opposite end secured to a small tab 46 formed from bracket 36. Also fixed to rotate with the arm 14 is gear segment 48.

Pivotally mounted on the bracket 36 at 49 is an operating lever 50. Secured to the lever 50 and adapted to turn therewith is a second gear segment 5-2 which is in meshing engagement with the gear segment 48. The lever 50 extends from its pivot point 49 up to an arcuate slot 54 from which it may be operated to two extreme positions defining an arcuate quadrant in a manner to be described in more detail shortly.

It should be clear, however, that the movement of the lever 50 from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIGURE 2 will cause turning of the gear segment 52 attached thereto and, consequently, the gear segment 48. Turning of the gear segment 48 in a clockwise direction will cause arm 14 to lower window 10 into the well 8.

In addition to FIGURES l and 2, attention now is more particularly called to FIGURES 3, 4, and 5. In these figures, it will be observed that the upper end 56 of lever 50 has been notched out at 58 and has welded, or otherwise suitably fixed thereto, an angular member 60 having a leg 62 extending toward the exterior of the vehicle. Pivotally supported on the leg 62 is a spacer 64, an operating handle 66, a pair of dogs 68 and 70, a torsion spring 72 and a washer 74, all secured together in stacked relation by a rivet 76. The handle 66 is formed so that an end 78 extends toward the interior of the vehicle through the arcuate slot 54 in the inner panel 4. Secured to the handle 66 is a stop pin 80;

From FIGURE 4, it will be noted that the upper end 56 of the lever 50 is also formed so that it has a pair of legs 82 which extend toward the exterior of the vehicle and engage a surface 84 on member 86. The ends 88 of dogs 68 and 70 are biased into engagement with an arcuately shaped member 90 which is provided with an arcuate surface 92. The members 86 and 90 lie in planes which are parallelly spaced with respect to each other and these members are secured to the inner panel 4 by means of the studs 94.

By notching the upper end 56 of lever 50, as at 58, a pair of oppositely disposed shoulders 96 are formed which may be alternately engaged at point 98 by operating handle 66 as it pivots about the rivet 76.

To operate the window regulator lever arm 50, in order to lower or raise the window 10, the operator grasps the end 78 of operating handle 66. Assuming he desires to lower the window 10 into the well 8, he would move the end 78 along the slot 54 toward the front of the vehicle. Such movement would cause the handle 66 to pivot about the rivet 76 and cause engagement between a pair of the abutting shoulders 96, 98. Also, because the pin 80 is fixed to the handle 66, it will carry the end 88 of dog 68 out of engagement with the arcuate surface 92 and against the bias of torsion spring 72. This will release the operating lever 50 so that it can now be moved about its pivot point 49 causing lowering of the window.

Assuming that the operator wishes only to partially lower the window, he will move the operating lever 50 the desired amount after which he will release the end 78 of operating handle 66. Torsion spring 72 will then return dog 68 against pin 80 and also the end 88 of dog 68 against the surface 92. Such action tends to wedge the end 88 into the arcuate surface 92 and legs 82 into the surface 84 thereby locking the end 56 of operating lever 50 against any further movement along the arcuate slot 54. The assembly will operate in the opposite direction in a similar manner if it is desired to raise the window any desired degree.

From the foregoing, it may now be appreciated that a novel, but simple, window regulator assembly has been provided which utilizes the action of a pivoted operating lever within the range of a slotted quadrant to raise and lower the window; and that, further novel means have been provided which uniquely hold the operating lever in whatever position it is placed.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising, a support having a pair of spaced juxtaposed generally parallel surfaces, an operating member, means mounting said member on said support for movement relative to and between said surfaces, a locking member, means mounting said locking member on said operating member for movement relative thereto about an axis generally parallel to said surfaces, and means biasing said locking member into engagement with one of said surfaces to bias said operating member into engagement with the other of said surfaces and thereby lock said operating member in position relative to said surfaces.

2. The combination comprising, a support having a pair of spaced juxtaposed generally parallel surfaces, an operating member, means mounting said member on said support for movement relative to and between said surfaces, a locking member, means mounting said locking member on said operating member for movement relative thereto in a plane generally normal to the plane of said surfaces about an axis generally parallel to said surfaces, means biasing said locking member into frictional engagement with one of said surfaces to bias said operating member into frictional engagement with the other of said surfaces and thereby lock said operating member in position relative to said surfaces, and means for moving said locking member out of engagement with said one of said members to release said operating member.

3. The combination comprising, a support having a pair of spaced juxtaposed generally parallel surfaces, an operating member, means mounting said; member on said support for movement relative to and between said surfaces, a locking member, means mounting said locking member on said operating member for movement relative thereto about an axis generally parallel to said surfaces, means biasing said locking member into engagement with one of said surfaces to bias said operating member into engagement with the other of said surfaces and thereby lock said operating member in position relative to said surfaces, a handle mounted on said operating member for moving said locking member out of engagement with said one of said surfaces, and means on said operating member engageable by said handle for moving said operating member relative to said surfaces upon release of said locking member.

4. The combination comprising, a support having a pair of spaced juxtaposed generally parallel surfaces, an operating member, means mounting said member on said support for movement relative to and between said surfaces, a pair of locking members, means pivotally mounting said locking members on said operating member for movement relative thereto selectively and independently of each other about an axis generally parallel to said sur faces, means biasing said locking members into frictional engagement with one of said surfaces to prevent movement of said operating member in alternate directions and to bias said operating member into frictional engagement with the other of said surfaces and thereby lock said operating member in position relative to said surfaces, a handle mounted on said operating member, means on said handle for moving a selected one of said locking members out of engagement with said one of said surfaces, and means on said handle engageable with said operating member upon release of said selected one of said locking members to move said operating member.

References Cited iii'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 240,069 Albert Apr. 12, 1881 692,869 Lemp Feb. 11, 1902 980,008 Romines Dec. 27, 1910 2,145,659 Lane Jan. 31, 1939 2,152,055 Kegler Mar. 28,1939 2,409,068 Roethel Oct. 8, 1946 2,458,446 Suska Jan. 4, 1949 2,802,374 Reid Aug. 13, 1957 2,892,487 'Herider et a1 June 30,. 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 524' Great Britain Dec. 18, 1902 of 1902 406,281 Germany Nov. 21, 1924 625,155 Germany -2 Feb; 5, 1936 

